Tag Archives: Video Games

Train2Game News Gamepedia shows huge PC growth

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The Gamepedia website has become home to a bastion of information for all types of games, including several blossoming Kickstarter titles.

With over half a billion people playing games on a daily basis and over three billion hours of video games being played every week—it’s no surprise that Gamepedia has over 20 million unique visitors each month.

Diehard PC fans want to show their passion for titles like Minecraft and creating online wikis help them reach that larger target audience of dedicated gamers. Minecraft has not only claimed the title of one of the most popular PC game available to date-but done so with no money spent on advertising or backing from a publisher. The popular sandbox title has now sold over 20 million copies worldwide and that number continues to grow steadily each day.

Ben Robinson, Wiki Director for Curse stated, “The great thing about the PC market is the accessibility for developers. Anyone with a PC and some free software can create a game and share it. While Sony and Microsoft are making strides to change this in the console sphere—they are still years behind. This accessibility allows for extremely innovative and unique creations.” 

As PC gaming continues to flourish, Gamepedia’s Wiki Directory becomes more expansive. For example, Blizzard’s World of Warcraft expansion Warlords of Draenor increased the game’s subscriber base to 7.4 million, and the World of Warcraft Wiki has grown to over include 317,106 articles on game features, lore, and in-game item information. With Minecraft’s rapid growth, there are over 38,866 articles on the Gamepedia Minecraft Wiki. What does this mean? That PC games continue to see explosive growth which is evident by the rapid increase in the number of wiki pages on Curse’s Gamepedia.

In addition to gaming news and information, Gamepedia hosts exciting contests, promotions, and giveaways. This week, the introduction of the Official Mad Max Wiki is being celebrated with a pre-order giveaway on social media, where Mad Max fans using the hashtag #MadMaxGame will have a chance to win one of three game pre-orders. To stay up-to-date on future giveaways, as well as the latest wikis and gaming news, visit  the official Gamepedia website.

Train2Game News Interview with resident Iron Man

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In recent weeks Train2Game has been documenting Sheldon Gilman’s pursuit to create the ultimate Iron Man suit.

He’s working on a collection of costumes and hopes to create a pair of Iron Man costumes for next year’s MCM Expo.

This week Train2Game caught up with Sheldon to hear more about the man inside the costume, including his professional and personal ambitions. 

Please tell us about yourself?
“My name is Sheldon Gilman, I am 35 and currently live in a small village called Redbourn in Hertfordshire with my wife and one year old daughter. I was originally born in Jamaica and moved to England with my parents when I was six months old. We lived in south London till I was seven then moved to Luton and now I live in Redbourn with my Wife and daughter.”

“I should also mention it was my very patient, loving and understanding wife who initially got me interested in cosplay and is constantly having to dodge Iron Man parts and tools that are all over the living room.” 

What cosplay does your wife enjoy, do you have photos of you both in cosplay?
I haven’t quite convinced Parveen to dress up yet but that’s soon to change as she’s told me she “MAY” consider dressing as Pocahontas next May. 

What is your regular job?
“I work in the IT department at Aldwyck Housing Group. A housing association.”

How much does the suit cost to create?
“Well I’ve never kept an accurate tally of how much it cost but my last suit was in the region of £200. This current suit, so far has cost me around £400 – £450 and there’s still more things I need to buy like electronics components and paint. However, when it’s completed, I expect it to have cost me £700 – £800.”

Would you ever sell a suit and if so, how much would one cost to buy?
“I definitely would sell my suits. I’d sell them in whole or in part (i.e. just the helmet) Prices would depend on detail. For a raw suit in foam, no paint, animatronics or electronics I’d say around £600 for a fibreglass suit all painted with full animatronics and electronics £1500.”

When will your latest suit be finished?
“I have set my finish date for May next year because I want both the Iron man Mk 20 and the War Machine to be completed for the MCM Expo in London where myself and a few others visit twice a year.”

Do you have a photo in the suit you at MCM Expo last year?
“I attached a pic of me with Rob Ledsom at MCM a few years back. I have to admit I haven’t worn this suit to MCM Expo time. I have also attached a pic of me in my Assassins Creed/ Jango Fett mash-up Costume.”

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What does your daughter understand of what you are doing?
“My Daughter Inara is very curious little monkey and likes to be involved in whatever everyone else is doing. My friends at Armour up have made her first costume to wear at her fancy dress party later this month.”
 

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What do you have planned in the future?
“I plan on getting a large shed built in my back garden this summer so I can create more costumes. I have many in mind like Sam Wilson aka The Falcon from Captain America – The winter Soldier, Heimdall from Thor, Batman – Arkham Knight Armour, Jager Pilot Suits from Pacific Rim and some crossovers too like Iron C3PO and Iron Tron. I will most definitely need help with some of these so I will be working with my younger brother and a very good friend of mine who is starting her own company called Armour Up.”

Would you see costume design as a future career?
“Very much so! The course I’m doing is useful, in that it’s showing me design techniques that speed up my design process greatly. However, as I am pretty much a one-man-band, production would be slow. I’m currently working on Iron Man mark 20 and War Machine simultaneously, and hope to have them finished by May 2016. I also have a Heimdall costume to make by May 2016 so I’m already a very busy bee.”

Which course are you studying with Train2Game?
“I am studying Games Artist and Animator.”

How are you finding the Train2Game course?
“The course is great! I actually started learning 3D animation on my own, watching YouTube videos and playing about with the different options in 3DS max but I thought it was time I got a qualification in the industry. The flexibility of the course has allowed me to continue working full-time, take care of my daughter all whilst studying to change to a career that I’d love.”

What are your thoughts on T2G?
“Train2Game have been a godsend. Courses of this type are very hard to find, As I work full time to support my family, I cannot afford to take three years out to get a bachelor’s degree from a normal university and no other university in this country has a program where you can study 3D animation totally from home, in your own time and get a portfolio as well as a recognised qualification out of it.”

Can you tell me more about your friend’s venture, Armour Up, and how you will be involved?
“I am getting James and Serena to write a few lines about what they do for you, but just briefly, they are both cosplayers. Alongside Serena’s regular job, she is an awesome seamstress and is very good at making period clothing. James and I both work for the same housing association but he is also a part time actor.”

“At the moment we’re just exchanging creative and business ideas and sharing expertise as I know nothing when it comes to cloth and Serena is eager to learn how to use the harder materials. James is the brains behind the operations and has good business head on his shoulders. He’s almost finished putting the Armour Up website together. I’ll update with more shortly.”

Further details of Sheldon’s project will follow on the Train2Game blog
Train2Game, bringing City & Guilds to the Games Industry

Train2Game is a proud supporter of www.plasisgamesportal.com

Train2Game News British Academy Games Awards 2016

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The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has today announced the call for entries for the British Academy Games Awards in 2016. The prestigious annual ceremony recognises and rewards the very best in games of the past year.

The 18 categories of the Awards encompass every element of games and highlight the accomplishments of the games industry over the past 12 months. Any game released in the UK is eligible to enter multiple categories within the Awards, a full list of which can be found on the BAFTA website, http://www.bafta.org/games/awards

Ensuring entry to the Awards remains accessible to all, developers and publishers may submit one free entry in the month of the game’s UK release. Games must have a release date between 1 January and 31 December 2015. The entry deadline is 9 December 2015.

Kelly Smith, Head of Television and Games at BAFTA, said: “This year’s British Academy Games Awards, held in March, was a great success. We broadened our categories to include Original Property and Persistent Game and we saw a broader range of winners than ever before. We are committed to celebrating the diversity and creativity of games as an art form, and we are proud to reflect such an innovative and fast-paced industry at our annual Awards. We look forward to the ceremony in 2016.”

The British Academy Games Awards will again be held at Tobacco Dock in 2016 where industry guests will enjoy a number of changes to the format of the evening, including the return to a more formal, sit-down dinner. Information on tickets will be announced at a later date.

For further information on the Awards and its rules and guidelines, visit http://awards.bafta.org/entry. Entries can be submitted here: https://entry.bafta.org

Train2Game News Q2 2015 Games Industry Report

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The games industry’s structure now looks a lot like it did 10 years ago, with a handful of companies dominating the top grossing charts (although different sectors and companies to back then).

While Digi-Capital’s new Games Report Q2 2015 forecasts games software revenue growing from $88 billion in 2015 to $110 billion by 2018 , that is just 8% growth per year – low by tech standards (although AR/VR could break out next year). This dynamic has had a dramatic impact on games deals so far this year.

Last year’s record $24 billion of games M&As and IPOs was always going to be tough to match. There were 5 mega-deals that took $8.1 billion, King went IPO, as well as major deals in Asia. Games investment had already narrowed to a handful of VCs and strategic investors, down 25% on the previous high in 2011.

Games deals in the first half of 2015 fell 89% compared to 2014. Investments were down 48%, M&As down 87%, with a quiet games IPO market. Those deals that are happening centered on mobile and tech, although at much lower levels than 2014. If the second half of 2015 looks like the first half, Digi-Capital projects $800 million of investments and $2 billion of M&As for the full year. The last time games deals were at this level, folks listened to Daniel Powter and James Blunt on iPods because there were no iPhones – it was 2006.

Deal making is a game of two halves. When times are good for entrepreneurs and investors, they are hard for corporate acquirers. The go-go years of games deals between 2011 and 2014 were exceedingly kind to sellers, but now the buyers have smiles on their faces at the end of valuation negotiations. For games market leaders with strong IPs, cashflows and balance sheets, it doesn’t get much better than this.

However supply and demand don’t always meet in the middle, which explains why deal volumes are also much lower than last year. Some games companies decided to hold off on an exit when times were good, so are now sitting tight to see what happens. They might be waiting a while, as the last time the games deal market dipped (due to the global financial crisis) it took 4 years to recover. So for corporate buyers, knowing who is ready to sell and why is going to be crucial for taking advantage of market conditions.

Train2Game News UK Top 20 – 13.07.15

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F1_2015A surprising chart this week as petrol heads nation wide have dethroned the dark knight. F1 2015 is number one with Batman: Arkham City at number two. Lower down the charts is Disney Infinity 2.0 which debuts at number thirteen.

All formats
Week ending 11 July 2015

POS.  TITLE  PUBLISHER  LAST
WEEK 
1 F1 2015 CODEMASTERS –
2 BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 1
3 LEGO JURASSIC WORLD WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 2
4 THE ELDER SCROLLS ONLINE BETHESDA SOFTWORKS 3
5 – GRAND THEFT AUTO V ROCKSTAR 5
6 THE WITCHER III: WILD HUNT BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT 4
7 – MINECRAFT: XBOX EDITION MICROSOFT 7
8 MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION EDITION SONY COMPUTER ENT. 10
9 – CALL OF DUTY: ADVANCED WARFARE ACTIVISION 9
10 DESTINY ACTIVISION 11
11 FIFA 15 EA SPORTS 8
12 – DYING LIGHT WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 12
13 DISNEY INFINITY 2.0 DISNEY INFINITY –
14 – FARMING SIMULATOR 15 FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE 14
15 HALO: THE MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION MICROSOFT 16
16 PAYDAY 2: CRIMEWAVE EDITION 505 GAMES 13
17 SPLATOON NINTENDO 15
18 YOSHI’S WOOLLY WORLD NINTENDO 6
19 – WWE 2K15 2K SPORTS 19
20 TERRARIA XBOX 360 CLASSICS 19
< previous week

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2015 UKIE Ltd

These charts cannot be reproduced either in print or online without obtaining permission from Ukie. If you wish to reproduce the charts in print or online, please contact david.smith@ukie.org.uk for the appropriate license.

Train2Game News Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5 at NASS

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Tony Hawk fans will be able to play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, due to be released later this year.

For the first time ever this weekend, the up coming game will be playable when Tony Hawk and his Birdhouse Skateboards team stop by the NASS Festival, Somerset on Saturday 11th July as part of their Birdhouse European Vacation Tour.

The tour kicks off this Saturday at the NASS Festival near Bristol, UK, before traveling on to Copenhagen, Paris, Malaga, Munich and Prague. The annual Birdhouse Summer tour gives fans a great opportunity to come out and see some of the best that skateboarding has to offer at some great locations across Europe, and drop by the Activision booth at each stop on the tour to play the game for the first time.

This year’s Birdhouse Tour line-up includes skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, Aaron “Jaws” Homoki, Ben Raybourn, Clint Walker, David Loy, Clive Dixon, Mike Davis, Shawn Hale, Kevin Staab, and Lizzie Armanto. In the UK, there will be a special Tony Hawk and Friends vert demo at the NASS Festival as well featuring Tony Hawk, Kevin Staab, Lizzie Armanto and many special guests.

“I’m excited to hit the road with the Birdhouse team, and to skate some of the best parks in Europe along the way,” said Tony Hawk of the tour. “Hope to see you there!”

For ongoing details and updates, go to http://birdhouseskateboards.com

Train2Game News Passport X for Xbox One

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GAME is giving Xbox One gamers the chance to get their hands on a My Passport X exclusive, in store or online at game.co.uk for £94.99.

With the national release of My Passport X not until 15th July, GAME customers will be amongst the first to snap up the new portable Xbox One hard drive.

With 2TB space, My Passport X immediately adds storage capacity to the Xbox One system so customers will no longer have to delete files to make room for new games. Built around a high-quality WD drive, with easy set-up and a stylish compact design, the device is built to deliver a great gaming experience for Xbox One or PC gamers.

Rachel Dearsley, Microsoft Category Manager at GAME, comments: “We want to ensure that our customers are on the frontline and amongst the first to have access to all the latest gaming products.

“Not only will My Passport X improve the gaming experience in the home but also on the move as gamers can take the drive with them wherever they go.

“With this added space and the reward points earned when purchasing through GAME, there’s no excuse not to treat yourself to a new game too!”

To find out more about My Passport X visit your local GAME store or game.co.uk.

Train2Game News Broadband Genie research results

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The growth of digital gaming has grown exponentially over the last few years. However, increasing download sizes and the continuous need for updates are making online games less accessible.

Research carried out by the independent broadband switching site, Broadband Genie has revealed that 2.68 million gamers (ref 1) have a broadband package with a data usage cap which could impact their ability to download and play games.  Furthermore, over half of those that play online still experience lag.

·         More than half (52%) of gamers regularly play online
·         More than 25% of gamers prefer to buy their games online, 35% have no preference
·         Of those that buy digitally, 36% have an advertised speed of 24mb or less, and 13% have speeds less than 8Mb
·         More than half of online gamers (59%) experience lag, with 10% of these gamers experiencing lag very frequently. That equates to more than 7 million online gamers across the UK (ref 2)

Rob Hilborn, head of strategy at Broadband Genie said, “Internet speeds are simply not keeping pace with advances in gaming technology. If you take a release like Batman Arkham Knight, it needs approximately 30GB to download – the same rings true for the boxed PC version.  30GB can take anywhere between 6 to 10 hours to download at 10Mbps and around 3 hours to download at the latest Ofcom average speed of 22.8Mb.”

This data usage exceeds the monthly download limit for many of the cheaper broadband deals, as well as some of the more expensive contracts (ref 3).

“It’s a big problem for many online gamers. If they exceed their monthly download cap, they’re likely to incur additional charges or a restriction to their service,” said Rob.

Other findings from Broadband Genie’s research:

·    Of those that experienced lag online (59%), 29% use ADSL, 34% fibre and 29% cable
·    Of those that play online and don’t experience lag (41%), 34% were Virgin users, 23% Sky, 22% BT
·    Of those that play online, 18% play on average between 1-5 hours a week, 14% between 6-10 hours and only 6% play more than 21 hours a week
·    30% play action adventure games, 21% FPS, 17% strategy and 11% simulator

Train2Game News UKIE on 2015 budget

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Today’s Budget was the first from the Chancellor of a majority Conservative government since 1996, and announcing a significant change in economic strategy with cuts to taxes and welfare and the introduction of a National Living Wage. You can read the full Budget speech and documents here.

With the Budget in March this year already having announced a £4 million Prototype Fund for the games industry, as well as further funding for the Skills Investment Fund, it is perhaps not surprising that today did not see any more direct announcements of support for games. However today’s announcements will still have an impact on all games companies.

Of most direct interest were the announcement on digital clusters. Ukie CEO Dr Jo Twist said in response:  “We welcome the new support for regional digital economy clusters outside of London.  Ukie will submit ambitious proposals to government supported by a major piece of research to influence the long-term Spending Round expected in November this year to support growth right across UK.”

Innovation across the country

In our letter to the Chancellor, Ukie called for investment in games hubs across the country. The government has taken steps toward this by announcing that they will work with existing clusters to find and support strengths in science and innovation. The Budget announced that “the government will invite universities, LEPs, businesses and cities to work with central government to map strengths and identify potential areas of strategic focus for different regions through a series of science and innovation audits”. Proposals generated from these discussions will be funded through announcements in the Comprehensive Spending Review that will be held in the autumn.

As a first step, the Budget also announced that the government will invest £23m in 6 “Next Generation Digital Economy Centres” over 6 sites – London, Swansea, Newcastle, Nottingham, York and Bath. These will attract match funding from the private sector to “exploit opportunities across sectors of the digital economy including the creative industries, finance, healthcare and education.”

We will be working closely with government to make sure these announcements have the best possible outcome for the games industry, especially in the clusters identified in the NESTA report.

Changes to Enterprise Investment Schemes

The March Budget proposed changes to ‘tax-advantaged venture capital schemes’ including SEIS, EIS and VCTs, which many games companies make use of. Following a consultation, which they have today published the government response to, they have confirmed several changes including:

    A new £20 million cap on the total risk finance that can be raised by a company under EIS or VCTs

    An increase in the employee limit for ‘knowledge intensive’ companies to 500 employees

    A new digital process for companies and investors using SEIS, EIS and the Social Investment Tax Relief (SITR) by the end of 2016

Business Environment

The Chancellor announced some major changes which will have an impact on all businesses in the UK, including:

    Corporation Tax will be reduced to 19% in 2017 then 18% in 2020 – keeping it the lowest in the G7, and a reduction from the 28% rate that the coalition government inherited in 2010.

    A new mandatory National Living Wage will be introduced. It will apply to the over-25s from April 2016, rising from £7.20 an hour then to over £9 an hour by 2020.

    The Employment Allowance will go up from £2,000 to £3,000, raising the amount businesses can pay employees before they incur National Insurance contributions

    Three million new apprenticeships will be created, partially funded by a new ‘Apprenticeships Levy’ on all large employers. This levy can be recovered by companies that spend money on training.

    From September 2017, families with 3 and 4 year old children will receive 30 hours of free childcare – twice the current amount.

Train2Game News VRTGO 2015 Conference

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This November will see the return of the popular future gazing VR conference and expo -VRTGO in Gateshead. 

Following last year’s sell-out event the organisers will be introducing new features and encouraging more buyers to attend the break-out sessions to meet technologists and developers.

ZeroLight, headline sponsor of VRTGO 2014 believes attending the event this year is valuable for any company exploring the potential of virtual reality, “VRTGO helps those inside and outside of the technology industry to explore the opportunities that virtual reality brings.  As well as being a showcase of VR applications, it provides real value to anyone thinking of using VR in their business”, said Jason Collins Marketing Director.

The conference and expo will feature companies such as nDreams, CCP, Coatsink, Crossrail, Microsoft, Atomhawk, Hammerhead Interactive and the list goes on….

Patrick O’Luanaigh, CEO of nDreams said, “We spoke at the inaugural event last year, and were hugely impressed by the professionalism, speaker quality and general feeling of excitement. This year’s event should be bigger and better, and we’re looking forward to sharing the lessons that we have learnt releasing titles on the Gear VR and developing launch games for the Morpheus, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.”

Carri Cunliffe, Secret Sauce MD and VRTGO producer said, “It was a great event to work on last year; so many exciting new questions about how VR will impact not just the entertainment industries but how we live and work. We will see more diversity of attendees as buyers look to see how VR can improve their business.  We are thrilled to be working on this exciting event again this year.”

To register today and take advantage of the early bird price https://vrtgo2015.eventbrite.co.uk